Mixed Berry Scones — These homemade scones are incredibly EASY, NOT DRY, you don’t need to dirty a mixer, and are guaranteed-to-disappear weekend breakfast or brunch!! Made with common pantry and fridge ingredients and you can use frozen fruit!!
Table of Contents
The BEST American-Style Scone Recipe
I’ve never been a big fan of scones because they’re usually dry, boring, and taste like flaky cardboard. These glazed berry scones are none of the above.
They’re actually the best scones I’ve ever had. And they’ve changed my mind about scones in general. They’re incredibly easy, you don’t need to dirty a food processor or a mixer, and they’re ready in a half hour.
How’s that for a fast, easy, and guaranteed-to-disappear weekend breakfast, brunch, or easy impromptu dessert or snack?
You don’t even need to use fresh fruit. I used Trader Joe’s frozen berry medley, which includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and blackberries.
There’s an abundance of juicy berries in every bite. As the mixed berry scones bake, the berries release their juices and the bites of dough surrounding the berries are melt-in-your mouth soft. Those are my favorite bites.
When I made these I thought I was going to have a ton of scones to re-home. Wrong. We devoured them all the same day I made them. And I want to make more.
Ingredients in Mixed Berry Scones
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy recipe for berry scones:
- All-purpose flour
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Unsalted butter
- Egg
- Sour cream
- Vanilla extract
- Mixed berries
- Lemon or orange zest
- Turbinado sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar
- Heavy cream
Frozen Fruit Tip
Another advantage to using frozen fruit is that it keeps the dough colder, and cold dough rises better. It’s also why you want to use cold butter in pastry-making or when making pie crusts. The hot oven air hits the cold butter in the dough and creates air pockets, which create a tender, flaky crust.
Same principle with cold butter and cold berries in the scones. They’re flaky and tender, but also supremely moist. Sour cream is used which helps prevent dryness.
How to Make Scones
Making mixed berry scones in so quick and easy! Here’s an overview of the recipe steps:
- Cut the cold butter into the dry ingredients. I usually use a fork and then transfer to my hands near the end.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry.
- Fold in the berries and optional citrus zest.
- Turn the dough onto a floured surface and knead into an 8-inch round.
- Cut into eight equal-sized pieces and place on baking tray. Sprinkle with turbinado sugar. You can use regular sugar if that’s what you have.
- Bake until very lightly golden and cooked through. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter.
- Once mostly cooled, pour the glaze over top.
Crunchy Sugar Topping
Before baking, I sprinkled the tops with turbinado sugar. I love the crunchy, big sugar crystals for an added pop of texture, but it’s optional. And like I said, you can use regular sugar if that’s what you have on hand.
Homemade Scones FAQs
A scone is a traditional British baked good that’s often served with tea. British scones resemble an American biscuit, but are denser and drier. Although scones are often topped with sweet clotted cream and jam, the scone itself is not very sweet.
The recipe I’ve shared in this post is an American scone recipe. American scones are triangular in shape and are much denser than British scones. American scones are also often flavored or contain mix-ins, like fresh fruit, chocolate chips, or nuts.
British scones are circular, and rise up taller and fluffier than American scones. If a British scones contains mix-ins, it’s most often some form of dried fruit (like raisins / sultanas). British scones are also made with less butter and sugar, but are intentionally plainer in flavor so that jam and clotted cream can be spread on top before eating.
Both scones and biscuits are made with flour, butter, and either milk or buttermilk. However, scones are much heartier than biscuits, and most recipes feature eggs and sugar.
American biscuits are taller, fluffier, and more buttery than British scones. They have a more savory flavor as well.
Many times I purposely choose to keep my pricier fresh fruit for snacking and bake with frozen fruit. I almost never have a surplus of fresh berries since we eat them so fast, but feel free to use fresh, noting that baking time will likely be reduced.
Scones are definitely on the drier side when compared to something like a moist birthday cake. But scones should NOT be bone dry or crumbly. They should remain soft and flaky (if British scones) and slightly spongy / cakey (if American scones). Don’t base your scone making results off of the dry bricks you can get at places like Starbucks — their scones could break your teeth sometimes!
Rather than milk or heavy cream as the wet ingredients that are mixed into the dry ingredients, the sour cream not only moisturizes and tenderizes the dough, but since it’s cultured like buttermilk, it helps the scones rise higher and stay fluffier and lighter, without being airy or dry.
I’m comfortable storing glazed scones at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the scones you plan to consume immediately. I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they will dry out.
Recipe Variations to Try
This a great blank canvas base recipe for any kind of fruit scones — most any fresh fruit, dried fruit, or zest can be added. Use what you have, enjoy, and eat seasonal!
Here are some simple swaps you can make using this base scone recipe:
- Blackberry scones: Replace the mixed berries with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blackberries.
- Strawberry scones: Replace the mixed berries with 1 cup of fresh or frozen strawberries.
- Blueberry scones: Replace the mixed berries with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
- Raspberry scones: Replace the mixed berries with 1 cup of fresh or frozen raspberries.
- Lemon blueberry scones: Replace the mixed berries with 1 cup of fresh or frozen blueberries. Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter. Replace the heavy cream in the glaze with lemon juice.
- Orange scones: Add 1 tablespoon of orange zest to the batter. Replace the heavy cream in the glaze with orange juice.
- Lemon scones: Add 1 tablespoon of lemon zest to the batter. Replace the heavy cream in the glaze with lemon juice.
- Coconut lime scones: Add 1 tablespoon of lime zest to the batter. Replace the heavy cream in the glaze with lime juice. Sprinkle the tops of the scones with toasted coconut immediately after glazing.
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
The Best Glazed Mixed Berry Scones
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour + about 2 to 4 tablespoons for work surface and hands
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- pinch salt, optional and to taste
- ½ cup unsalted butter, cold (1 stick)
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup sour cream, lite is okay
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 heaping cup mixed berries, I used TJ’s frozen mixed berry blend which includes strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries; if using frozen, keep frozen so berries bleed/run less
- 1 tablespoon lemon or orange zest, optional (I didn’t include any in scones shown)
- turbinado, raw, or coarse sugar, optional for sprinkling (granulated sugar may be substituted)
- 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
- about 1 tablespoon cream or milk, or substitute with orange or lemon juice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400F. Line a baking sheet with a Silpat or parchment; set aside.
- In a large bowl, add 2 cups flour, granulated sugar, baking powder, optional salt, and whisk to combine.
- Add the butter, and with a pastry cutter or two forks, cut the butter in. You can use a food processor, but I find not having to wash it is a big time-saver. I smoosh the butter with forks and when it’s the size of large marbles, I use my hands and knead it in. It will feel like semi-wet, cool sand. Some larger pea-sized butter clumps are okay; set bowl aside.
- In a small bowl, add the egg, sour cream, vanilla, and whisk to combine until smooth.
- Pour wet mixture over dry, and fold until just combined with a soft-tipped spatula; don’t overmix or scones will be tough. Dough will be wet and shaggy.
- Fold in the berries and optional zest.
- Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons flour over a Silpat or clean work surface and lightly coat hands.
- Turn dough out onto surface and knead it into a 8-inch round, approximately. Dough is very moist, wet, sticky, and tacky, but if it’s being too stubborn or too wet to come together, sprinkle with flour 1 tablespoon at a time until you get it to come together and into a round.
- With a large knife, slice round into 8 equal-sized wedges.
- Using a flat spatula or pie turner, transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet spaced at least 2-inches apart. Do not crowd because scones puff and spread while baking. Tip – try to make sure there are no exposed berries touching the baking sheet because they’ll be prone to burning.
- Optionally, sprinkle each wedge with a generous pinch of turbinado sugar, about 1 teaspoon each.
- Bake for about 18 minutes, or until scones are very lightly golden and cooked through. 18 minutes in my oven with frozen fruit is perfect, but if using fresh fruit, baking time will likely be reduced. A toothpick inserted in the center should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but no batter. Because they’re baking in quite a hot oven, watch them closely starting after about 15 minutes to ensure the bottoms aren’t getting too browned.
- Allow scones to cool on baking tray for about 5 minutes before removing and transferring to a rack to finish cooling. While the scones cool, make the glaze.
- In a small bowl, combine the confectioners’ sugar and cream (or citrus juice).
- Whisk together until smooth. Depending on desired consistency, you may need to play with the cream and sugar ratios slightly.
- Evenly drizzle the glaze over the scones before serving.
Notes
- Scones are best fresh, but will keep airtight at room temperature for up to 4 days. I’m comfortable storing glazed items at room temperature, but if you’re not, glaze only the scones you plan to consume immediately; I don’t recommend refrigerating them because they will dry out.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Breakfast Recipes Using Berries:
Sour Cream Blueberry Muffins — These are fluffy and moist thanks to the addition of sour cream in the batter. Not to mention they’re bursting with fresh blueberry flavor. These are bound to be your new favorite muffins!
Easy Buttermilk Waffles with Mixed Berry Preserves — They’re as fast and easy as using a boxed mix, but so much better. They’re crispy on the outside, yet softer and fluffier in the interior.
Blueberry Dutch Baby Pancake — This oven-baked pancake has the chewiness of crepes with the thickness of clafoutis, and making it is as easy as making pancake batter.
Strawberry Coffee Cake – One of the best coffee cakes I’ve ever had or made. Use your favorite fresh, frozen, or seasonal fruit.
Deep Dish Mixed Berry Skillet Pancake — If you love thick stacks of pancakes, you’re going to love this deep-dish skillet pancake. It’s soft, fluffy, and light, with the texture of pancakes, and it’s packed with berries.
Strawberry Banana Bread— This strawberry bread is packed with fresh, juicy strawberries in every bite! This is an easy, no-mixer quick bread recipe you’re going to love!
Greek Yogurt Raspberry Muffins — EASY, soft, fluffy muffins bursting with fresh raspberries!! So moist thanks to Greek yogurt in the batter! Not overly sweet and perfect with a cup of coffee or tea!!
Originally posted April 26, 2014 and reposted April 24, 2020 with updated text.
The serving plate displayed in the photos, may I ask where did you acquire it? It’s been featured in a few of your dishes and it adds just the right touch.
It was a find at a local thrift store for like $2 bucks and I wish I could buy 10 more because if anything ever happens to it, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ve looked for other, similar pieces and nothing is ever quite right!
I made this recipe this morning and the taste was amazing. However, I have had the opposite problem as other posts. My dough looked great until it baked and the scones flattened and looked more like a cookie than a scone. I thought my measurements were spot on. The only thing I can think of is my sour cream was too wet. I know it wasnt my baking powder because I used it recently and it worked great. Any thoughts?
I think in your case, if they flattened that much, the dough could have used a little extra flour to give it more structure so they stay better formed. Just go with a bit more flour next time and I think you’ll be in good shape!
Thank you for sharing this recipe! It was my first time making scones and they were great. I ended up making 2 batches. Now my husband would like me try lemon poppyseed scones. Any suggestions on how much of these ingredients to add?? Thanks again! :)
I would use lemon EXTRACT not lemon juice (as the lemon juice can effect how the dough will behave), about 2-3 tsp and then maybe 1-2 tbsp poppyseeds depending on how it looks. Just purely guessing here of course!
Goodness in every bite. I made these for the first time based on what I read from other comments.
I stuck to the recipe but added double the berries. I used blueberries only and it came out great!
Thank you so much for the recipe. I am going to try a berry mix next time using double the berries again.
They are delicious.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
I love these scones! I add white chocolate chips (about 1 cup) into my batch at the same time as folding in the berries and it makes them even more yummy! Ive tried it with icing and then without when I do it this way and my husband claims it isn’t necessary when chips are added. :)
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! Chocolate chips make everything better :)
Could these scones be frozen and deforested when needed??
I haven’t tried them that way so cannot speak from experience on this one.
Made this for some friends that were visiting from Italy. They are amazing! Each time as I make them they seem to taste a little better. These are the real deal. Thanks.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you! And that you keep on getting better each time you make them!
Very good! I made a lemon raspberry version by using the zest of two small lemons and then I used the juice to make the glaze. My husband is fundamentally opposed to sweet breakfast foods, and he ate TWO.
My instincts told me that folding in the zest at the end was a bad idea, so I made lemon sugar and just followed the recipe from there. Lots of tart lemon flavor in every bite that way! I’m sure it would also be fine to whisk the zest in with the wet ingredients.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi Averie, they turned out good actually! The only thing (and it was my bad) was that I left them in oven a tad too long when my daughter was making something else :) so the edges were a little darker than I’d have liked, but inside was still good. And you’re right they are best fresh, I don’t care for them the next day even if in a sealed container. Thanks for the recipe!
Glad they came out good and yea with scones 1. overbaking by even 1-2 minutes can be dry city/overdone in a heartbeat and 2. fresh is always best. Glad you’re happy!
Hello, I’m about to make these with my daughter. We only have fat free sour cream…do you think that will make a difference in how they turn out? Just curious of the fat content has anything to do with it? Thank you! Excited to see how they turn out.
Fat content does effect baking results, yes. That’s why you can’t just sub skim milk for heavy cream in a recipe :)
But in this recipe, I think you’ll be okay. I mean lite is better than totally fat free for taste/results, but I think it’s workable if that’s all you have. LMK how it goes!
My 12 year old son and I are making these for the first time…..just waiting for these beauties to come out of the oven! Smells devine! I agree that the dough came out very dry, but next time (and there WILL be a next time!) I will do as suggested and not be as heavy handed with the flour. Maybe I will try sifting it and then measuring it so I’m sure to not over add it. Thanks for posting….my mouth is watering waiting for them to be done :)
Just start with 1/3 or 1/4 cup less than I call for from the outset. Then, add it back in, tablespoon by tablespoon, so you can really see where you’re at with it. Every day is a new day baking, too. On humid days, you will need more. On dry days, less. Sometimes butter just has more moisture in it, etc. etc. But glad you love them and will make again!
This is the best scone recipe! Thank you for sharing.
I used fresh blueberries and raspberries and substituted plain yogurt for sour cream as I had run out of sour cream.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Hi there,
I’m planning a housewarming brunch and thought these would be great. I would like to make them in advance, freeze them and pop them in the oven the morning of. Do you think that will work?
Huge fan of your blog,
Melissa
I haven’t tried it that way and with scones, the delicate situation that happens with cold butter when it hits a hot oven, I personally wouldn’t’ mess with baking science on this recipe. ANY of my bars or cookie recipes, yes – freeze, fine. But scones, meh, I wouldn’t.
These are the best scones I’ve ever had! One of my co-workers asked me to make scones so I tried your recipe using fresh strawberries and blueberries. What a hit! I bake quite a bit for my co-workers and was told this was possibly the best thing I’ve ever made, that I should sell these. These were so moist, not too sweet, just perfect. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll definitely be making these again.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you, so much so that even though you bake often, this was deemed ‘possibly the best thing I’ve ever made, that I should sell these’. That is awesome and I love feedback like this!
You saved my day with this recipe! Today is graduation day for my daughter and I bought her favorite breakfast- Trader Joe’s almond croissants. Unfortunately, I forgot to take them out of the freezer last night :-( But I do have frozen berries in the freezer, so it’s a win with these! I love that you use frozen berries since I always have these (due to the smoothie lovers in the family.) So thank you and I’m off to bake them now!
Glad everything is going to work out!
Thank you for your fast reply!!!! I will do this on my next batch. Went ahead and forced my dough together and made little blobs of dough. Did not want to waste the dough. Was not pretty. lol But was determined to taste these. They tasted so awesome(just not pretty). I WILL master this recipe!! Love your web site. It is a feast for the eyes alone. Want to make so many things here. Again thank you!!
You’re welcome and glad you enjoyed the taste and just a smidge less flour and/or more sour cream and you’re all set!